Family Is The Keyword
by The Second Side of Happiness
Summary: Alfred had always wanted a brother, and hey! what's better than becoming step-bro's with someone who looks just like you? Nothing. It's almost like this kid was born to be his brother. A short family fic, with updates and repairs since I first posted it.


**UPDATE 2012: Hey there fans of this, it's been awhile, but this particular work of fiction has been selected to be edited and rewritten in parts (more like the whole thing basically, damn) then reposted! I highly encourage you to read the updated version of it. It has a reunion. And Gilbert. And an Antonio mention. C:**

**Author's Note: It is somewhere in between 3-4 A.M. and I just got done bawling my eyes out from my cat who thought it was a necessity to break a very treasured item of mine. Shattered my porcelain angel to pieces and I probably cut my now pulsing finger picking up the pieces and trying to assemble them back together. Ouch.**

**But, I put a band-aid on my finger so it should be A-OK! Yay. Anyway, I can't get back to sleep as you can imagine so I'm writing my first family story for Hetalia.**

**P.S. Uses real names. Alfred would be eight and Mattie six.**

**Discalimer: Don't own Hetalia and/or its characters.**

Alfred peered curiously around the corner to get a better view of the boy his father explained would be his brother. There was a small boy attached to Francis' hip. The boy looked scared to death, like he was going to collapse with fright of being somewhere new and unknown. Oh boy. With a burst of courage, and an instinct to protect, Alfred left his father's side, taking the boy's hand and dragging him into the house.

"Eh, Alfred? I thought I said it was time for bed." Alfred didn't hear what was said, he was all too excited to have a brother, "Alfred," his father warned. This time he looked up and gave him big puppy eyes. Francis tried to hide a laugh that had bubbled up while Arthur pinched the bridge of his nose. Sometimes his son was too cute.

"But Pa, I want to show him inside. I am his big brother now after all, so I need to take care of him." He pointed the other boy into his side, who shrank, as if to avoid any attention at all. Francis laughed and patted Alfred's head.

"C'mon, Athur. Let the boy have fun." He stood and kissed the angry Englishman's forehead. "I'm just glad they like each other." Arthur, blushing furiously at the display of affection, looked down at the boys and had to relent. It's true, this was better than if they were to have hated each other at first sight. Arthur knew he would have.

"Fine, but after you show him around it's straight to bed!" He called out, after Arthur gave a high-pitched squeal then dragging the other boy through the house. "So, what's your name anyway?" Alfred asked as he bent over to tuck his new brother into bed. "If I'm to be your big brother, then I need to know your name."

"Matthew." He mumbled. He hadn't spoken much (yet), due to Alfred's incessant chittering all night.

"Matthew. Matthew and Alfred." Alfred jumped into bed next to him, snuggling into his side, and pursed his lips before smiling widely. "The Awesome Al and his amazing sidekick Mighty Mattie!" Alfred pinched Matt's cheeks.

"Wha' owre you 'oing?" Alfred's face suddenly took a more serious tone as he whispered, "We're heroes now, Mattie."

"You're weird." Matthew said, slapping his hands away and rubbing his sore face. Alfred just smiled and tugged the blankets up to tuck under his chin.

"Night, Mattie."

"Night, Alfred."

The room was silent save for the light snores of the two boys as they drifted off, until Matthew poked Alfred in the face.

"Hey, Al?" Alfred grunted in response, eyes cracking open. "Do you think that our papas will get married." Alfred reached over and pulled Matthew close.

"Yeah. They love each other after all." He said, yawning. "And they finally let us meet." Hoping the younger was satisfied, Alfred drifted back off to sleep. Matthew thought about it some more and smiled.

"I hope they get married. I love having you as my big brother."

_4 Years Later_

"Wake up. Wake. Up." Alfred opened his eyes to find his brother straddling him.

"Go away I'm tired." he mumbled through the blankets while rolling over to knock him off.

"Alfred, please. Papa and I made pancakes!" Alfred groaned. Matthew pouted and thought for a moment before rushing off. Suddenly, the delicious smell of bacon drifted into the small, two bedded bedroom. Alfred shot up.

"I'm up." he mumbled. He got out of bed and stumbled down the stairs to the kitchen where Francis was cooking pancakes and bacon with little Mattie. His own father was stumbling out his bedroom when the sound of a kettle whistling crescendo'd through the house.

Francis chuckled, "My boys." Mathew giggled as his hair was ruffled.

"I'm sure, Francis." Arthur muttered, taking the cup of steaming tea from his husband, "Listen, Alfred, I'm going out tonight and Francis will be running late at work so I'm going to need you to watch your brother, please."

"Okay." He said cheerily, hiding his displeasure at both parents having to work on a Saturday. It's not like he had plans, and he actually liked watching Matthew, made him feel like he was in charge, but his fathers were working more and more often. Usually at separate times. He was also noticing how flustered things could get if Francis said the wrong thing, even as a joke. His own father was too tense and frustrated at the moment, he couldn't help but snap.

Of course Alfred has kept such things from Matthew, and took his time when there were family moments like these. It was only four years (officially two) since he became Matthew's older brother, but things were already falling apart. He could sense it.

"_The Awesome Al and his amazing sidekick Mighty Mattie!"_

"Alfred what's wrong?" Matthew surprised him, breaking him from his thoughts, "You look tired and kind of sad." He brought his voice down an octave lower, "It's their arguing isn't it." Alfred visibly flinched, it wasn't a question, but a statement.

He put on a smile, "Of course not. I'm just tired and feeling a little ill is all." He walked over to the table and began eating his pancakes and bacon. Matthew sighed. He was young, but not deaf. He heard his parents fighting, no matter how loud Alfred turned up the t.v. or however he had tried to keep him from knowing. He could see the toll it was taking on his brother. On his family.

"_They love each other after all."_

He suddenly felt a deep urge to cry and tell his fathers how he felt, but that would be childish, and, even though he's only ten, he feels that it would be more proper to be more mature at times like this. Like Alfred. He glanced at his brother, who looked more childish than anything, scarfing down about two pancakes at a time. He sighed and decided to linger on the present rather than the past and enjoy this beautiful Saturday morning.

"Well, aren't you gonna eat?" Alfred was smiling at him and gesturing towards Matt's empty plate. "The other hockey players'll make fun of you if you're too small." Matthew pouted.

"I'm not too small!" I'm perfectly fine." Alfred shrugged. Arthur stood to go, but on his way through he bent over and kissed Alfred's head.

"Be nice to your brother, Alfred." Alfred scrubbed at his forehead, and waved his father's comment away.

"Psh, I'm only teasing. Besides, a hero can't hurt the ones he's supposed to save."

"_I love having you as my big brother."_

"Matthew, don't cry." Alfred held his younger brother to his chest tightly, allowing him to share his room with him for the first time in six years, and for the last time ever. He listened as his sobs quieted and his shoulders stopped bouncing.

"There ya go." He patted his back and moved him away a bit. "Hey, don't look so down. In a year, I'll be sixteen so I'll have a license. Then I can steal Dad's car and come see you."

"Wh-what if Papa moves us back to Canada? Or France?" Alfred patted his head.

"Don't be silly. Papa wouldn't take you from me. I'll even talk to him to make you feel better." Alfred pursed his lips as tears still fell from his little brother's wide-eyes. "Where's that smile, Mattie?" Matthew looked away, wiping his eyes. "I said," He drew out the word as his hands rose and inched towards Matt's sides. "'Where's that smile?'" he began tickling Matthew who shrieked and squealed and smiled.

"Al-Alfred! Alfred, _stop!_" When Alfred finally ceased his attack, Matt was pouting, but smiling. "I'm thirteen. You can't just start tickling me." Alfred ruffled his hair.

"I'm your big brother. I can do what ever I want to you." Matthew opened his mouth to retort, but Arthur called for Alfred at that moment.

"Well, see you later, baby brother." He pulled Matthew into a tight hug, lifting him off the ground. When he set him back down, Alfred pretend to nuzzle Matthew's shoulders to wipe away the tears that had begun to form.

"I love you, baby bro." Alfred said, holding him a bit tighter.

"Love you, too, you big jerk." Alfred stood up straight, remembering something. He ran to the truck and reached in to the passenger seat window to pull out a medium sized box before running back to Matt.

"A farewell gift. Treat it nicely, and treasure it always."

"Alfred! Let's go." Alfred ruffled Matt's hair one last time before running back to the truck, this time slipping into the passenger seat beside his father.

"_... a hero can't hurt the ones he's supposed to save."_

"I'm sorry, Alfred, but things just didn't work out the way I had hoped." Arthur reached over and ran a hand through his son's hair. "I promise I'll bring you back to visit him." Alfred just sighed and leant his head on the edge of the window, ignoring the way his hair whipped him in the eye.

"_You're weird."_

Once inside the home he had grown up with Alfred in, he went up to his room and set the box down, and listened.

It was too quiet. Usually he could hear the sounds of Al's video games or his insane laughter. Usually he was breaking into Matt's room shouting about some villain and how they were going to save the world, and though it was not appreciated, it was definitely missed. He heard steps outside his door, followed by a knock.

"Matthiew?" He looked up to see his father peering around the door. "Is it alright if I come in?" Matthew nodded, welcoming someone to share the empty with him.

When he entered, Francis motioned to the box on the bed, wrapped up in silly Power Rangers wrapping.

"Is that from Alfred?" A nod. "Why haven't you opened it yet." A shrug of the shoulders. Francis sighed and moved to pull his boy into a hug.

"I'm sorry you have to suffer through this." He kissed the top of his head. "You and Alfred shouldn't have to suffer for your f- Arthur's and my mistakes." Matthew started crying, his shoulders shaking. Francis held him tighter, and Matthew let out a muffled wail.

"I-I just miss him so m-much, and he's o-o-only been gone for f-f-f-ffffive minutes, if that."

"I'm sure you do, cher. He played a big role in your life, but don't worry. I promise you'll see him again soon. Just as soon as Arthur and Alfred settled in their new community and school." When he felt his son's sobs even out to deep breathing he smiled. "And you know how ridiculously friendly Alfred is, so it shouldn't take much time." He reassured him. Matthew nodded, mostly satisfied with the answer.

"_The other hockey players'll make fun of you if you're too small."_

The next time the two brother's saw each other ended up being a whole seven years after they initially thought; Arthur having moved much farther than he planned. It was by chance that the two ran into each other.

"Alfred?!" Matthew couldn't think as he was pulled into a bone crushing hug by his brother (added on top of all the other bruises and sores he gained from that night). "Wh-what are you doing here?"

"What?" He pulled Matt away to properly look at him. "I haven't seen my brother in seven years, am I not allowed to hug him and let him know I missed him and I still love him and-"

"Alfred, you're blubbering." Matthew chuckled, as Alfred wiped at his eyes.

"I'm sorry, it's just I really have missed you and imagine my surprise when I see that you've actually made your dream a reality." The two were interrupted by a pale guy coming up and throwing his arm around Matt's shoulders.

"Yo, Matt, who's this guy? Another mindless an?" He snickered, and Alfred seemed to puff up in indignation

"Excuse you, weird albino-man, but I'm actually Matt's brother thank you very much." He sniffed, peeling the arm from Matthew's shoulders.

"And here I thought that you two would actually like each other." Matt sighed. "Anyway, Gil, this is my brother Alfred. Al, this is my best friend and teammate Gilbert."

"Sup?" Gilbert gave him a two fingered salute, and Alfred shoved his hands in his pockets grumbling.

"So, you see what I do, what have you grown up to be?" Matthew asked, motioning with his for them to walk and shoving Gilbert away as he tried to follow. "Brother bonding time. Sorry, Gil. Haven't seen in-"

"Seven years, yada yada, I've heard the story." He stuck his nose up but must have seen Antonio or something because his attention was suddenly redirected and he ran off.

"Anyway, what do you do now?" Alfred beamed at him, standing up tall.

"I'm an actor!" He declared, fisting his hands and planting them on his hips. "An action hero actor." He smiled. Matthew burst into laughter.

"You _still_ have that hero complex?" He questioned, leaning against his truck.

"What do you mean "hero complex"?" Alfred grouched. "I've never had a "hero complex"." Matthew rolled his eyes and threw his bags and sticks in the bed of his truck.

"Yeah, sure." Alfred punched him in the shoulder gently.

"Listen, we should hang out tomorrow. You bring some of your friends and I'll bring mine and we can have a get -together and reacquaint ourselves." Alfred suggested, looking back to see the Gilbert guy talking to some others.

"Okay. Sounds like a plan. Your friends are probably interesting. Assuming, they're, y'know, not aliens or something." Matthew teased. Alfred scowled.

"I'll call it off, you asshole." Matthew chuckled before pulling the idiot into a massive bear hug.

"You wouldn't dare."

"Yeah, I know." The two pulled away, before clearing their throats and fist-bumping to reinflate their manly egos.

"I'd better get back to my friend's place. I'm staying there this weekend to help him move."

"Yeah, and I'm bone tired." The two brother's smiled at each other, over-joyed at finally having met once more. But before Matt could escape-

"Is that... the gift I got you when our dad's split?" Alfred tried his hardest not to laugh as Matthew blushed, shoving the white stuffed bear into a corner and throwing a jacket over it.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"What's you name it?" Alfred continued to tease, pushing past Matt to pull it out. It looked new, almost.

"And why'd you keep it so nice?"

"You told me to!" Matt defended. "I was young and upset. Of course I was going to listen to my big brother who I lost. Then I grew up and became responsible." He crossed his arms, watching Alfred inspect it, a melancholy look about him. "And his name is Kuma-something. I don't remember. Like I said, I was young." Alfred tossed the bear back into the cab, pulling his brother into a hug once more.

"See ya later, Mattie." he said when he pulled away. "And this time I mean it!" They both laughed, then Alfred began the trek to his own vehicle, waving good-bye.

_Night, Mattie_

_Night, Alfred._

**Wow, that was. . . wow. Hmm, thought I said pleasant family story. . . oopsie.**

**UPDATE 2012: This used to be 370 words (or something like that), now it's four pages and 2843 words long... holy God...**


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